I will gatherאָסֵףhuman beingאָדָםand livestock;וּבְהֵמָהI will gatherאָסֵףthe birdsעוֹףof the skyהַשָּׁמַיִםand the fishוּדְגֵיof the sea,הַיָּםand the stumbling blocksוְהַמַּכְשֵׁלוֹתwithאֶתthe wicked;הָרְשָׁעִיםand I will cut offוְהִכְרַתִּיhuman beingsהָאָדָםfrom uponמֵעַלthe faceפְּנֵיof the ground,הָאֲדָמָהdeclaresנְאֻםYHWH.יְהוָה
Zephaniah 1:3
Study it in the app“I will gather human being and livestock; I will gather the birds of the sky and the fish of the sea, and the stumbling blocks with the wicked; and I will cut off human beings from upon the face of the ground, declares YHWH.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Zephaniah 1:3, word by word
- I will gatherאָסֵףasef
assemble
To bring people together in one place.
Where else “asef” appears- human beingאָדָםadam
human being
All humankind, men and women, as creatures God formed.
Where else “adam” appears- and livestockבְהֵמָהvehema
beast
Animals in general.
Where else “vehema” appears- the birdsעוֹףof
bird
The animals with wings and feathers that fly through the sky: doves, eagles, ravens.
Where else “of” appears- of the skyשָּׁמַיִםshamayim
sky
The high space seen above the earth, where the birds, clouds, sun and stars are.
Where else “shamayim” appears- and the fishדְגֵיdege
fish
Fish; fish as a whole.
Where else “dege” appears- of the seaיָּםyam
sea
The sea, or a large lake.
Where else “yam” appears- and the stumbling blocksמַּכְשֵׁלוֹתmachshelot
stumbling block
What makes others fall into evil, or those who fall into it.
Where else “machshelot” appears- the wickedרְשָׁעִיםreshaim
wicked
One who does evil, the opposite of the righteous.
Where else “reshaim” appears- and I will cut offהִכְרַתִּיhichrati
cut off
To wipe out, or be shut out from the people.
Where else “hichrati” appears- the faceפְּנֵיpene
surface
The surface: "the face of the earth".
Where else “pene” appears- of the groundאֲדָמָהadama
land
A territory with its inhabitants, or the whole surface of the world.
Where else “adama” appears- declaresנְאֻםneum
declaration
Solemn words God himself speaks: "oracle of YHWH".
Where else “neum” appears- YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears
Translation note
“The stumbling blocks”: what makes people fall; it may refer to the idols.
The context
2“Completely I will gather everything from upon the face of the ground, declares YHWH.
3 · This verse (above)
4And I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off from this place the remnant of Baal, the name of the pagan priests along with the priests;